May 8: Parent and Guardian Suicide Prevention Conversation with Forefront

May 8: Senior Prom

May 13: The Transition to College

May 14: 8th Grade Parents and Guardians Virtual Lunch Meetup

May 18: Virtual Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series: Ijeoma Olou

May 22: 10th Grade Practice ACT

You did it! Last week, the Northwest School community extended tremendous generosity at Pizazz, raising more than $400,000 for The Northwest Experience Fund and the Raymond Taussig Terry Financial Aid Endowment. Thank you to all who participated! You made this our most successful Pizazz ever. You can learn more, watch all the videos, and still donate here.

Thanks to all of the amazing volunteers and faculty, including the Board of Trustees; emcee Scott Davis; Dennis Bisgaard; Ray Wilson; Ellen Taussig; Mark Terry; Cynthia Tee and C.Y. Lee; Davia Loren; Barbara Chin, graphic designer; the Pizazz Event Planning Committee; Jonathan Hochberg; Hillary French; Rae Page; Bethany Fong and the fabulous dining crew; Peter Woodburn; and anyone else we might have missed. A big shout-out to the student performers: Ana Elisa, Sophie, Coco, and Wesley. We could not have done this without you!

Do you know anyone who is looking for enrichment opportunities for their children this summer? We are planning an in-person Summer Camp experience focused on social connections and academic enrichment based on The Northwest School's liberal arts curriculum and social justice mission. We will have six one-week sessions, beginning July 5. You can learn more about our camps here.

 

Vaccine
All Washington residents 16 and older are eligible to be vaccinated. For a complete list of options in King County, check out Public Health Insider, visit the Getting Vaccinated page, or the Washington’s Vaccine Locator Tool. 

Pfizer BioNTech is the only vaccine approved for use in people who are 16 and 17 years old. The Moderna vaccine is approved for use in people who are 18 and over. The Vaccine Locator Tool now includes the type of vaccine being provided so that families can confirm the provider carries Pfizer BioNTech when scheduling.

Magnus Vaccine Record
If your student has received an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, please upload their COVID-19 vaccination records to Magnus by following the instructions outlined below. 

1. Open the Magnus Mobile V2 app and select “Student Health Tracker” in the bottom left of the Magnus home screen.
2. Select “COVID-19 Vaccine Record Request."
3. Select “Submit Requirement."
4. Select “Add File." This will prompt you to either take a photo or select an existing photo/file from your device.
5. Once it has been uploaded, click the circle to the left of the uploaded file. Make sure you see the checkmark next to the uploaded file.
6. Click “Submit."

Phase Update
On Tuesday, Governor Jay Inslee announced that King County will remain in Phase 3 of Washington state’s Roadmap to Recovery for the next two weeks. Public Health Insider reports what that means for our community going forward.

CDC Update
Last week, the CDC provided updated interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. A full list of activities and guidelines can be reviewed here. 

Despite these changes in general guidance from the CDC, the Department of Health guidance for K-12 schools continues to require the universal masking of all students and faculty while in school. This requirement has not changed with the CDC update.

• Upper School students: please do not come to lunch early, even if you have a free period. Middle school students eat from 11:15 am-12:15 pm, and in order to socially distance and properly sanitize eating spaces between lunches, we ask that divisions stick to their assigned lunch periods.
• Please check out the daily menu before you come to lunch. The menu is also written in two places in the 401 lobby. Knowledge is power and, in this case, it also helps move the line faster when you know what you want when as you arrive at the front of the line.
• Still hungry? In addition to the daily entrée, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, and WB&J sandwiches are available at lunch. Make sure you request these items when you are in line. Need a couple of apples (one for now, one for later) or a gluten-free sandwich? Just ask!
• Sharing is caring…but not during a pandemic. Please do not share food.
• Lunch isn’t over until waste is properly sorted and disposed of—please sort your compost, recycling, and garbage in the correct receptacles to keep our waste stream uncontaminated!
• For questions about the dining program, please email Bethany.

Finally, May is Asian-American Pacific Islander month. Check out the newsletter to educate yourself about the Model Minority Myth and watch a short documentary about a Hawaiian hula dancer who taps into traditional culture to expand boundaries of gender roles and identity.

Maroon Cross, a health-focused Interest Group at Northwest, is coordinating a supply drive for YouthCare's Orion Center. The Orion Center is a safe and welcoming day center supporting unhoused youth in our community. Personal hygiene supplies and clothing items in good condition are being collected in drop-off boxes in the Main and Upper Halls of our building.

After a slight delay, we will soon introduce Upper School students to a touchless electronic-based Sign In/Sign Out system designed by SchoolPass. In place of the pencil and paper sign-in, students will sign in using a smartphone and the SchoolPass app or by using a pre-printed QR sticker. There will also be a manual PIN number option. This should allow for a quicker, safer, and more accessible process. Upper School parents and guardians will receive a welcome letter from SchoolPass before we begin the rollout of the system.

Please join other Northwest School parents and guardians for a guided conversation about youth suicide prevention on Saturday, May 8, 9:30-11:00 am. This will be the last Forefront training of this school year. Topics will cover:

• Learning how to start and sustain conversations with your teen about mental health and suicide awareness.
• Learning the signs that someone you care about may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, practice and role-play how to ask about suicide, and learn about resources and ways to support someone who may be hurting.
• Connecting with other parents and guardians to build and strengthen your network of support and prevention.

Click here to join the Zoom Meeting.

8th Grade Lunch Meetup
Friday, May 14, 12:00 pm

• Meeting Link

Final 11th Grade Trivia Night of the Year
Friday, May 21, 7:00 pm

• Meeting Link
• Meeting ID: 819 9270 5164
• Passcode: 983464

We are excited to invite our community to a talk featuring local bestselling author Ijeoma Oluo (So You Want to Talk About Race) for the final Virtual Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series on Tuesday, May 18, at 6:00 pm.

Please click here to register for the webinar.

Every Wednesday, 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Open to students, parents, guardians, and faculty. Sign-up here.

Sunday, May 16, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
We will be transplanting tons of plant starts as well as tending to the compost and weeding. This is open to everyone and will be happening rain or shine. Please bring your own snacks and water. Sign-up here.

Anytime, On Your Own
Sign-up here to care for the chickens, water the plants, harvest, etc. Open to students, parents, guardians, and faculty.

The Northwest School is partnering with Lakeside School and University Prep to offer the virtual presentation, Transitioning to College during Unprecedented Times, on Thursday, May 13, 7:00-8:15 pm. Join all three schools’ college counseling directors for a panel discussion with featured speakers:

• Katharine Pei, Director of the First Year Center at Washington University in St. Louis  
• Vivian Garay Santiago, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Success at Occidental College 

What are the challenges that students face transitioning to college? What new challenges should students anticipate because of the pandemic? What steps can families take now to support students as they launch into adulthood? These are a few of the questions our speakers will address; there will also be an opportunity for attendees to pose their own questions.

Pre-registration is required for attendance and can be accessed here. If you’re unable to join us, a recording will be available by request.

The Northwest School Musical Theatre class is proud to present The Addams Family. The production will be available for streaming on May 27-June 6. Check out the promo here.

Click here to join in live community fitness sessions every weeknight, at 5:00 pm PT.

Recordings of past workouts can be found here.

Please click here to find other college counseling announcements.

About E-News: The weekly E-News covers a two-week period of upcoming events, parent reminders, and campus news.